Reviewed by Sarina

TITLE: Buck Baxter, Love Detective/Buck Baxter and the Disappearing Divas

SERIES: The Buck Baxter Mysteries

AUTHOR: Geoffrey Knight

PUBLISHER: Wilde City Press

LENGTH: 172 pages

RELEASE DATE: November 4, 2015

BLURB:

BUCK BAXTER, LOVE DETECTIVE

Welcome to Wilde City, 1924. From the romance of the Rainbow Palace atop the Wilde City Tower, to the dazzling debauchery of the gentlemen’s parlor The Velvet Viper—from the history surrounding the sinister convent on the hill better known Hell’s Bells, to the lantern-lit opium barge, The Peking Empress, run by the mystical Madame Chang—could gin-swigging, pot-smoking gumshoe Buck Baxter be about to unravel the greatest mystery of them all… The mystery of love?

BUCK BAXTER AND THE DISAPPEARING DIVAS

Something sinister is occurring at the Maharaja Majestic Theater on Broadville Boulevard. The domineering actress, Dominique Darlington, has vanished without a trace, the opening night of the theater’s new production of The Snake Charmer’s Slave is now in jeopardy, and six suspects are about to have the pleasure of meeting Buck Baxter, Private Detective, as he investigates whether there’s a killer on the loose… or a phantom at the opera?

REVIEW:

BUCK BAXTER, LOVE DETECTIVE

Buck Baxter is what most people would consider a ‘typical’ resident of Wilde City; he drinks, he smokes, and he engages in activities that would make the overly religious condemn him to hell. Let’s be honest though, his work as a Private Detective generally makes people unhappy with him in one way or another, no matter that he’s just doing his job. His latest case seems fairly straightforward but something about it makes Buck’s gut itch and as he chases after the truth, he’ll find there’s more to discover than what’s really going on.

This was so different than the mysteries I usually read. The entire story takes place in Wilde City, a fictitious place, in the 1920s. I thought the story had a great blend of fiction with actual events, such as prohibition, which added a layer of realism to it but it was also entertaining. The cast of secondary characters is diverse (Stella is by far my favorite) and I felt that they were well incorporated into the story. Buck himself made me think of a grittier Dick Tracy but better because it felt as though there was just more to him. Throughout the story you get insights into Buck’s childhood, which shaped who he is in a big way, and when his history looped back around to the present, it brought a nice close to that chapter in his life. I honestly enjoyed this book though it was more for the cast of characters than the mystery itself, which I still liked. This was a good introduction to a new series, in my opinion.

BUCK BAXTER AND THE DISAPPEARING DIVAS

Buck Baxter is back and better than ever; he has a new lover, as well as a new personal assistant, and now a new case. The lead actress in a new play, The Snake Charmer, has disappeared and with less than a week before the show is set to open, that’s a serious problem. As Buck’s list of suspects grows, so do the problems surrounding the play; it’s the problems with his love life that have him the most worried, however. With the clock counting down to opening night, and the murderer still loose, Buck will have to work fast to solve this mystery before the final curtain falls.

I liked this story every bit as much as the first one in the book; you get to see Buck back in action, only this time he has a new assistant in tow. This case was a bit more complex than the first and I loved that I didn’t figure out what was really going on until Buck did. Quite a few of the secondary characters from the first book also make a return appearance in this one, which I liked, and we get to meet more that I hope I’ll see again in the future. There’s just something about Buck that I really like and it felt as though I got to see more of how he operates in this story. The absolute best part of the book for me was the ending, however; I never saw it coming. At all. The set up is just perfect for the next book and I’m actually a little miffed I don’t have it to read right now.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was great for both stories and nothing ever felt rushed or incomplete, even for them being on the shorter side, length wise. Great new author for me and I look forward to reading more of his work in the future. I’d recommend anyone who likes historical or mystery novels to give this one a try.

RATING:

BUY LINKS:

Wilde City Press

Amazon

AllRomanceebooks